SUPPLY CHAIN pooling resources across all the business units and supply chain . We have plans to triple the size of this function next year ”.
The transformation of Thames Water is an ongoing process . The organisation has already seen success , the very same survey in which it was failing has now ranked it within the top two utility companies in the country .
Loveday is all too aware that for any transformation of this scale , the real measure of any success , particularly one with a supplier network like that of Thames Water , is the response from those suppliers and contractors where the relationship was previously non-existent .
“ We ’ ve had a real positive response ,” he says . “ We ’ re trying to get people that are going to be compatible with our values and our goals and ways of working , and to make these alliances a success . So , it ’ s not just the clever commercial models , it ’ s actually taking it to a people level to try and give these things a head-start because any contract is only as good as the relationships you ’ ve got and those relationships take time to develop .”
And time it will take , but Loveday can already see a change in fortunes for Thames Water .
“ There are a number of large suppliers that previously wouldn ’ t work for Thames Water , and now they do . This is because of our historic aggressive approach that we have worked so hard to transform ,” he concludes .
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